Chernetidae Menge, 1855

Family

Marachernes bellus from Australia  (Image: M. Harvey)Cordylochernes sp. from Australia  (Image: K. Edward)

The family Chernetidae was first created by Menge (1855) but it gained little acceptance until revalidated and redefined by Chamberlin (1931) and Beier (1932). Apart from the addition of numerous new taxa, the family has not significantly altered in extent since then, apart from Judson (1985) demonstrating that the Myrmochernetidae should be regarded as a synonym of Chernetidae.

Composition

The Chernetidae are a highly diverse family with over 650 species in more than 110 genera. Three subfamilies are recognized but their status and interrelationships are very poorly understood. Goniochernetinae (three genera) are defined by the shape of the posterior margin of the carapace and the Lamprochernetinae (seven genera) can be recognized by the morphology of the female spermathecae, which are T-shaped. The Chernetinae include the remainder of the family and its monophyly has never been demonstrated.

Distribution

Chernetids are found all over the world, occurring under bark of trees, in leaf litter, in caves, as well as a variety of other habitats.

Distribution Count
5
United Arab Emirates 4
Afghanistan 4
Antigua and Barbuda 1
Albania 3
Armenia 9
Argentina 40
American Samoa 1
Austria 18
Australia 38
Azerbaijan 15
Bosnia and Herzegovina 5
Belgium 11
Bulgaria 15
Bolivia 3
Brazil 65
Bahamas 2
Bhutan 1
Belize 2
Canada 9
Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) 20
Central African Republic 2
Congo 4
Switzerland 9
Ivory Coast 4
Chile 36
Cameroon 2
China 14
Colombia 10
Costa Rica 13
Cuba 8
Cyprus 1
Czech Republic 16
Germany 19
Denmark 12
Dominica 1
Dominican Republic 9
Algeria 8
Ecuador 26
Estonia 1
Egypt 1
Eritrea 1
Spain 24
Ethiopia 3
Finland 12
Fiji 2
Micronesia 13
France 19
Gabon 1
United Kingdom 15
Grenada 1
Georgia 12
French Guiana 1
Ghana 2
Guinea 1
Guadeloupe 2
Equatorial Guinea 1
Greece 13
Guatemala 7
Guam 4
Guinea-Bissau 1
Guyana 2
Croatia 7
Haiti 1
Hungary 15
Indonesia 22
Ireland 7
Israel 8
India 17
Iran 10
Italy 28
Jamaica 2
Japan 13
Kenya 14
Kyrgyzstan 10
Cambodia 1
South Korea 1
Cayman Islands 3
Kazakhstan 7
Lebanon 1
Sri Lanka 8
Luxembourg 7
Latvia 7
Libya 1
Morocco 3
Moldova 1
Montenegro 2
Madagascar 2
Marshall Islands 3
Macedonia 2
Myanmar 1
Mongolia 8
Northern Mariana Islands 6
Malta 4
Mauritius 1
Mexico 53
Malaysia 5
Mozambique 1
New Caledonia 4
Nigeria 1
Nicaragua 1
Netherlands 9
Norway 13
Nepal 14
New Zealand 43
Panama 12
Peru 17
French Polynesia 2
Papua New Guinea 22
Philippines 6
Pakistan 10
Poland 16
Puerto Rico 5
Portugal 8
Palau 4
Paraguay 13
Reunion 2
Romania 9
Serbia 3
Russia 13
Rwanda 1
Solomon Islands 18
Seychelles 1
Sudan 1
Sweden 16
Saint Helena 1
Slovenia 3
Slovakia 17
Senegal 1
Suriname 3
South Sudan 1
Sao Tome and Principe 1
El Salvador 5
Syria 1
Chad 2
Thailand 6
Tajikistan 4
Turkmenistan 4
Tunisia 5
Turkey 24
Trinidad and Tobago 4
Tuvalu 1
Taiwan 1
Tanzania 12
Ukraine 4
Uganda 7
United States 89
Uruguay 4
Uzbekistan 5
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3
Venezuela 26
U.S. Virgin Islands 3
Vietnam 5
Vanuatu 2
Samoa 3
South Africa 12
Zimbabwe 1

Important References

Beier, M. (1932e). Pseudoscorpionidea II. Subord. C. Cheliferinea. Tierreich 58: i-xxi, 1-294.

Callaini, G. (1986c). Appunti su alcune specie italiane della famiglia Chernetidae Menge (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpionida). Notulae Chernetologicae XV. Bollettino del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Verona 11: 379-401.

Muchmore, W.B. (1975d). Use of the spermathecae in the taxonomy of chernetid pseudoscorpions. In Proceedings of the 6th International Arachnological Congress: 17-20. Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam: Amsterdam.

Vachon, M. (1951c). Les Pseudoscorpions de Madagascar. I. Remarques sur la famille des Chernetidae J.C. Chamberlin, 1931, a propos de la description d'une nouvelle espece: Metagoniochernes milloti. Mémoires de l'Institut Scientifique de Madagascar 5: 159-172.

References

Chernetidae Menge, 1855: 22; Chamberlin, 1931a: 241-242; Beier, 1932e: 80-81; Beier, 1932g: 186-187; Chamberlin, 1935b: 481; Roewer, 1937: 287; Hoff, 1949a: 40-41; Hoff, 1949b: 449; Petrunkevitch, 1955: 82; Hoff, 1956c: 4; Morikawa, 1960: 139; Dubinin, 1962: 442; Meinertz, 1962: 63; Beier, 1963b: 248; Muchmore, 1974d: 26; Murthy and Ananthakrishnan, 1977: 134; Milne and Milne, 1980: 918; Muchmore, 1982a: 101; Judson, 1985: 321; Harvey, 1985b: 133; Legg, 1987: 180-181; Legg and Jones, 1988: 94; Harvey, 1991a: 534; Gärdenfors and Wilander, 1992: 30; Harvey, 1992c: 1427-1430; Harvey, 1995: 199-201; Tooren, 2008: 424.